The Way of the Spider

Madame Web considers the life of Peter Parker. She recounts the day that he was bitten by a radioactive spider. How he first used his powers as Spider-Man to achieve fame and fortune. However, his life took an unexpected turn when he let a burglar go free, telling the security guard trying to catch him that it’s not his responsibility. That same burglar later killed his Uncle Ben. As Spider-Man, Peter tracked down the killer and was shocked to discover that it was the man he could have stopped earlier. This taught Peter Parker an important lesson: With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility.[1] However, Madame Web poses a question: What if there came a time when Spider-Man’s power was not so great?

Peter Parker was out buying a gift for his Aunt May’s birthday. Since he is making good money now he decided to go to one of the higher-end stores.[2] There he catches Spider-Woman trying to rob it and changes into Spider-Man. The reason why she is doing this is that she is under the mental control of the Mandrill, whose mutant pheromones allow him to mentally control any woman. Spider-Man is getting his ass handed to him. As the battle continues, Madame Web brings Shang Chi, the Master of Kung Fun, onto a nearby rooftop to watch the battle. She tells him that her clairvoyant abilities have foreseen that Shang Chi is to be here to witness the battle, but not intervene, as what comes next must be Spider-Man’s choice and his alone.

As Spider-Man continues to get beaten by Spider-Woman, Madame Web explains that Spider-Man is losing this fight because he recently lost his spider-sense, an ability he had come to rely on for years.[3] She explains that the Web of Life — which plots the fate of every being, including Spider-Man — has deemed that, for the trials ahead, Spider-Man will need to reinvent himself as a warrior. Shang Chi is willing to teach Spider-Man in the ways of kung fu, but Madame Web reiterates that the decision must be Spider-Man’s to make.

Getting a moment of inspiration, Spider-Man swings into a nearby shop by Spider-Woman ambushes him. Although she caught him off guard, she knocked him into a display counter full of perfume and cologne. This is exactly what Spider-Man was trying to reach and the powerful and conflicting smells counteract the effects of Mandrill’s pheromones. They manage to sneak up behind Mandrill and knock him out. Later, when the police arrive to take the villain away, two officers debate about arresting Spider-Man as well. The web-slinger is annoyed by this and reminds them that he’s a member of the Avengers.[4]

After all the commotion is over, Spider-Man tries to use his Avengers status to get a hotdog and is given the finger for his trouble. That’s when he spots Shang Chi walking by. When Spider-Man learns that Shang watched the battle he asks why he didn’t help. Shang explains that to do so would have upset the balance of the power. As Spider-Man tries to wrap his head around this logic he suddenly gets a moment of inspiration and asks if Shang Chi can teach him some kung fu.

The next day, Spider-Man begins his training at Shang Chi’s retreat at Croton-On-Hudson. However, before they begin, Shang insists that Spider-Man put on an inhibitor collar to disable his powers, saying he must first train the man before he trains the spider. Over the next few weeks, Shang Chi trains Spider-Man in a new fighting technique he calls the Way of the Spider. In between training sessions, Spider-Man uses his new skills to take down foes like Hammerhead, the Shocker, and the Hobgoblin. When the training is complete, Peter finally feels whole for the first time since he lost his spider-sense, giving him a new sense of hope.

Recurring Characters

Spider-Man, Madame Web, Shang Chi, Mandrill, Hammerhead, Shocker, Hobgoblin

Continuity Notes

1. It’s a Free Comic Book Day comic of course they’re going to spend two pages recapping the events of Amazing Fantasy #15. Gotta get them new readers hooked.

2. At the time of this story, Peter had just started working for Horizon Labs. See Amazing Spider-Man #648.

3. Spider-Man sacrificed his spider-sense to stop the Spider-Slayer’s Slayer Swarm using a device to short out their similar early-warning sense abilities. See Amazing Spider-Man #654.

4. At this time, Spider-Man has been a longstanding member of the Avengers since New Avengers #1.

Topical References

• Real-World businesses: Tiffany’s